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14 year-old Andy Zhang of China during a practice round prior to the start of the 112th U.S. Open at The Olympic Club. He will be the U.S. Open's youngest player ever. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

Forget Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy…at least for a moment. This week's U.S. Open pre-tournament star is Andy Zhang, a 14 year-old Chinese amateur who is set to become the youngest golfer to ever play in the U.S. Open.

Zhang—14 years and six months old, for those keeping score at home—got into the U.S. Open at San Francisco’s Olympic Club when Paul Casey withdrew with an injury. Zhang beats the record for the U.S. Open’s youngest player, previously held by Tadd Fujikawa, by almost a year.

But Zhang is not the youngest golfer ever to play in one of the golf majors (the Masters, the U.S. and British Opens and the PGA Championship). That honor goes to the aptly named “Young” Tom Morris, a Brit who played in the 1865 British Open at 14 years and four months old. He withdrew from that year’s tournament (just as Robert E. Lee was withdrawing from the Civil War at Appomattox). But Young Tom would win the British three years later by beating, of all people, “Old” Tom Morris, his pop. Young Tom would win three Opens more before dying at age 24.

The youngest player ever at the Masters: That would be the Italian, Matteo Manassero, who played the tournament in 2010 at the age of 16 years, 356 days. He had a pretty good showing, tying for 36th and winning “low amateur” honors. He’s since had two professional wins, and is sponsored by Ralph Lauren.

The youngest to ever compete in the PGA Championship: Japanese player, Ryo Ishikawa, who played the 2009 tournament. He made the cut and finished tied for 56th at age 17. He has since won 10 professional events (mostly on the Japanese Tour) and is sponsored by Panasonic, Toyota and Yonex.

Based on how the other “youngest” players have done, Zhang just might have a bright future.